New Zealand homes have long struggled to maintain a stable, comfortable indoor temperature year-round. While the focus often falls on keeping the heat in during winter, the primary contributor to an expensive summer environment is often poorly insulated glazing and joinery that allows excessive heat to transfer into the home.
The updated New Zealand Building Code's H1 section now requires better energy efficiency for all new construction and major upgrades. Standard aluminium joinery is conductive, allowing cold air to escape and warm air to enter in summer, increasing power bills. DuCo offers a suite of high-performance thermal solutions, including the ThermalHEART® frame and the advanced Solux and Solux Ultra glass systems, that work together to meet these stricter requirements.
Do Thermal Break Windows Meet the H1 Compliance Rules in New Zealand?
The updated H1 Building Code now requires higher R-values for the building envelope. In many regions, standard aluminium joinery does not meet current standards, making thermal break technology the minimum requirement for new buildings and significant renovations.
A common misconception is that R-values only measure resistance to heat loss, when in reality, a higher R-value indicates better overall thermal resistance, slowing heat transfer in both directions.
ThermalHEART® joinery achieves its superior frame performance through a polyamide thermal strip that physically separates the inner and outer aluminum profiles, stopping heat from easily transferring between them. When paired with high-performance glass units like Solux or Solux Ultra, the overall window system delivers maximum thermal efficiency.
Benefits of DuCo's thermal solutions include:
- Reduced Heat Gain: The frame’s thermal break, combined with the low-SHGC glass in Solux and Solux Ultra, ensures external heat is not easily conducted or transferred indoors, reducing reliance on cooling systems.
- Stable Indoor Climate: The superior resistance to heat transfer limits overheating, maintaining a consistently cooler, pleasant indoor temperature throughout summer.
- Compliance and Future-Proofing: These systems are engineered to surpass the minimum R-value standards outlined by the updated H1 Building Code, ensuring your property is compliant and retains its value.
To understand the specific compliance methods and how R-values are calculated for your project, read our in-depth guide.
Why Choose ThermalHEART® Aluminium to Reduce Power Bills This Summer?
While materials like timber and uPVC have natural thermal benefits, a high-performance, thermally broken aluminium system like ThermalHEART® offers a superior balance of thermal performance and structural integrity. It maintains all the key advantages of aluminium:
- Strength and Durability: Aluminium provides structural integrity, allowing for larger spans of glass, essential for modern, light-filled designs that maximise indoor/outdoor flow.
- Low Maintenance: Unlike timber, aluminium does not need regular painting or staining and is highly resistant to warping or rotting.
- Design Flexibility: Aluminium allows for sleek, narrow sight lines and a wide range of colours and finishes.
How Can I Get Windows and Doors Replaced in my Home?
Many existing New Zealand homes struggle with excessive summer heat due to old, non-thermally broken joinery. Replacing these windows and doors with a high-performance system featuring ThermalHEART® frames and Solux or Solux Ultra glass is the most significant upgrade available to improve thermal efficiency and comfort. DuCo specialises in comprehensive replacement services, carefully installing new, high-performance systems to quickly make your home cooler, more efficient, and boost its market appeal.
What is the Thermal Solution Advantage for New Zealand Joinery?
The DuCo range offers a complete thermal system solution, where the frame’s thermal break (ThermalHEART®) is just one component. The system is designed to work seamlessly with high-performance glass options, such as the AGP System® with Solux or Solux Ultra Low-E coatings. These advanced Insulated Glass Units (IGUs) are critical for managing Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC). Combining a thermally broken frame with low-SHGC glass ensures the best whole-window performance.
What are the Long Term Benefits of Window and Door Replacement?
Investing in high-performance joinery is an investment in a better quality of life:
- Year-Round Comfort: Improved insulation keeps the home warm in winter and significantly reduces heat gain in summer, helping maintain a stable indoor temperature and reducing reliance on air conditioning. To understand more about the technology behind this year-round performance, read our Low-E glass blog post.
- Acoustic Comfort: Strong thermally broken frames and modern IGUs offer great noise reduction.
- Sustainable Living: An energy-efficient home requires less power for cooling and heating, directly reducing your carbon footprint. Energy efficiency authorities across the country, like EECA, promote these upgrades for long-term national sustainability.
Upgrade Your Home: The DuCo Thermal Solutions
DuCo provides a tiered approach to thermal performance, allowing you to choose the level of efficiency, comfort, and protection that is right for your home.
- ThermalHEART®: This is DuCo's foundation for a high-performance joinery system. The ThermalHEART® aluminium frame uses a polyamide thermal strip to physically break the conductive path of the aluminum, preventing external heat from being conducted indoors. Upgrading to ThermalHEART® is the crucial first step to ensuring your frames meet or exceed the updated H1 Building Code standards.
- Solux: Solux (Solux-E®) is a high-performance Low-E glass that dramatically improves insulation over standard double glazing. It works by reflecting warm air back into your home while still providing effective solar control in summer, leading to greater comfort and energy savings.
- Solux Ultra: This is the ultimate glazing upgrade, blending clarity, overheating control, and fading protection. This advanced Low-E double glazing is engineered to deliver a further 23% reduction in overheating and retain heat 9% better than Solux-E®, making it perfect in areas of high sunlight.
For property owners in New Zealand, choosing a high-quality, thermally broken system ensures your home meets the latest standards, reduces energy use and spend, and provides a healthier, more comfortable, and cooler environment for years to come.
Contact the DuCo Group team today to discuss a high-performance joinery solution for your home. You can view more of our projects using ThermalHEART® joinery here.
